William Wordsworth

Key facts
Born 7 April 1770, Cockermouth, Cumberland, England

Education Hawkshead Grammar School in Lancashire; St John's College,Cambridge University.

Carrier Poet, Britain's Poet Laureate from 1843 until his death in 1850

Major works:  Lyrical Ballads (1798, 1800, 1802, 1805).

Poems in Two Volumes (1807)

The Excursion (1814)

The Prelude (1850), a semiautobiographical poem, generally known as "the poem to

Coleridge"

Died 23 April 1850 (aged 80), Cumberland, England

Some useful information

William Wordsworth was a major English Romantic poet who, with Samuel Taylor Coleridge, started the
Romantic Age in English literature with their publication Lyrical Ballads(1798).
The second of five children born to John Wordsworth and Ann Cookson, William Wordsworth was born in
Wordsworth House in Cockermouth, Cumberland (a region in northwestern England known as the Lake
District). He often spent holidays on walking tours, visiting places famous for the beauty of their landscape.
W. Wordsworth made his debut as a writer in 1787 when he published a sonnet in The European Magazine.
In 1790 he went on a walking tour of Europe, during which he toured the Alps, and visited nearby areas of
France, Switzerland, and Italy. In November 1791 Wordsworth visited Revolutionary France and became
enthralled with the Republican movement. Because of lack of money and Britain's tensions with France he
returned to England the next year. The Reign of Terror completely estranged him from Republican France.
The first collection of poems by W. Wordsworth An Evening Walk and Descriptive Sketches was published
in 1793. In two years, in 1795, he received a legacy of 900 pounds and became able to pursue a career as a
poet.
It was also in 1795 that he met Samuel Taylor Coleridge in Somerset. The two poets quickly developed a
close friendship. In 1797 Wordsworth and his sister Dorothy moved to Alfoxton House, Somerset, just a few
miles away from Coleridge's home in Nether Stowey with another poet, Robert Southey nearby.
Wordsworth, Coleridge and Southey came to be known as the "Lake Poets".
Wordsworth and Coleridge published Lyrical Ballads in 1798.  The volume gave neither Wordsworth's nor
Coleridge's name as author. Most of the poems in the 1798 edition were written by Wordsworth (nineteen),
with Coleridge contributing only four poems to the collection, including one of his most famous works, "The
Rime of the Ancient Mariner".
A second edition was published in 1800, in which Wordsworth included additional poems and
a preface detailing the pair's avowed poetical principles. For another edition, published in 1802, Wordsworth
added an appendix titled Poetic Diction in which he expanded the ideas set forth in the preface. A fourth and
final edition of Lyrical Ballads was published in 1805.
In 1810 Wordsworth and Coleridge had a quarrel over the latter's opium addiction. Only after 13 years, in
1823, poets mended their relations. The two were fully reconciled by 1828, when they toured
the Rhineland together. After the death of Robert Southey in 1843 Wordsworth became Poet Laureate. He
initially refused the honour, saying that he was too old, but accepted when the Prime Minister, Robert Peel,
assured him that "you shall have nothing required of you". He became the only laureate to write no official
verses. When his daughter Dora died in 1847 he stopped writing poetry.
William Wordsworth died on 23 April 1850, and was buried at St Oswald's Church, Grasmere. His widow
Mary published his lengthy autobiographical as The Prelude several months after his death. Though it failed
to arouse much interest at that time, it has since come to be widely recognized as his masterpiece.

Poetry
In 1814 Wordsworth published The Excursion as the second part of the three-part work The Recluse, even
though he had not completed the first part or the third part, and never did. He did, however, write a poetic
Prospectus to The Recluse in which he laid out the structure and intention of the whole work.
The Prospectus contains some of Wordsworth's most famous lines on the relation between the human mind
and nature:
My voice proclaims
How exquisitely the individual Mind
(And the progressive powers perhaps no less
Of the whole species) to the external World
Is fitted:—and how exquisitely, too,
Theme this but little heard of among Men,
The external World is fitted to the Mind.

1. What does the author mean by ‘the individual Mind’ fitted ‘to the external World’? Why is the theme
of ‘The external World is fitted to the Mind’ is also extremely important?
2. Do you have any explanation to the fact that this theme is ‘little heard of among Men’?

I wandered lonely as a cloud Tossing their heads in sprightly dance.

I wandered lonely as a cloud The waves beside them danced; but they
That floats on high o'er vales and hills, Out-did the sparkling waves in glee:
When all at once I saw a crowd, A poet could not but be gay,
A host, of golden daffodils;  In such a jocund company:
Beside the lake, beneath the trees, I gazed- and gazed- but little thought
Fluttering and dancing in the breeze. What wealth the show to me had brought:

Continuous as the stars that shine
And twinkle on the milky way,
They stretched in never-ending line
Along the margin of a bay:
Ten thousand saw I at a glance,
For oft, when on my couch I lie
In vacant or in pensive mood,
They flash upon that inward eye
Which is the bliss of solitude; 
And then my heart with pleasure fills,
And dances with the daffodils. 

We Are Seven
A Simple Child,  What should it know of death? 
That lightly draws its breath, 
And feels its life in every limb,  I met a little cottage Girl: 
She was eight years old, she said;  The little Maid replied, 
Her hair was thick with many a curl  "Twelve steps or more from my mother's door, 
That clustered round her head.  And they are side by side. 

She had a rustic, woodland air,  "My stockings there I often knit, 
And she was wildly clad:  My kerchief there I hem; 
Her eyes were fair, and very fair;  And there upon the ground I sit, 
--Her beauty made me glad.  And sing a song to them. 

"Sisters and brothers, little Maid,  "And often after sunset, Sir, 
How many may you be?"  When it is light and fair, 
"How many? Seven in all," she said  I take my little porringer, 
And wondering looked at me.  And eat my supper there. 

"And where are they? I pray you tell."  "The first that died was sister Jane; 
She answered, "Seven are we;  In bed she moaning lay, 
And two of us at Conway dwell,  Till God released her of her pain; 
And two are gone to sea.  And then she went away. 

"Two of us in the church-yard lie,  "So in the church-yard she was laid; 
My sister and my brother;  And, when the grass was dry, 
And, in the church-yard cottage, I  Together round her grave we played, 
Dwell near them with my mother."  My brother John and I. 

"You say that two at Conway dwell,  "And when the ground was white with snow, 
And two are gone to sea,  And I could run and slide, 
Yet ye are seven!--I pray you tell,  My brother John was forced to go, 
Sweet Maid, how this may be."  And he lies by her side." 

Then did the little Maid reply,  "How many are you, then," said I, 
"Seven boys and girls are we;  "If they two are in heaven?" 
Two of us in the church-yard lie,  Quick was the little Maid's reply, 
Beneath the church-yard tree."  "O Master! we are seven." 

"You run about, my little Maid,  "But they are dead; those two are dead! 
Your limbs they are alive;  Their spirits are in heaven!" 
If two are in the church-yard laid,  'Twas throwing words away; for still 
Then ye are only five."  The little Maid would have her will, 
And said, "Nay, we are seven!" 
"Their graves are green, they may be seen," 

THE KITTEN AND FALLING LEAVES

THAT way look, my Infant, lo! Withered leaves--one--two--and three--

What a pretty baby-show! From the lofty elder-tree!
See the Kitten on the wall, Through the calm and frosty air
Sporting with the leaves that fall, Of this morning bright and fair,
Eddying round and round they sink
Softly, slowly: one might think,
From the motions that are made,
Every little leaf conveyed
Sylph or Faery hither tending,--
To this lower world descending,
Each invisible and mute,
In his wavering parachute.
----But the Kitten, how she starts,
Crouches, stretches, paws, and darts!
First at one, and then its fellow
Just as light and just as yellow;
There are many now--now one--
Now they stop and there are none.
What intenseness of desire
In her upward eye of fire!
With a tiger-leap half-way
Now she meets the coming prey,
Lets it go as fast, and then
Has it in her power again:
Now she works with three or four,
Like an Indian conjurer;
Quick as he in feats of art,
Far beyond in joy of heart.
Were her antics played in the eye
Of a thousand standers-by,
Clapping hands with shout and stare,
What would little Tabby care
For the plaudits of the crowd?
Over happy to be proud,
Over wealthy in the treasure
Of her own exceeding pleasure!
'Tis a pretty baby-treat;
Nor, I deem, for me unmeet;
Here, for neither Babe nor me,
Other play-mate can I see.
Of the countless living things,
That with stir of feet and wings
(In the sun or under shade,
Upon bough or grassy blade)
And with busy revellings,
Chirp and song, and murmurings,
Made this orchard's narrow space,
And this vale so blithe a place;
Multitudes are swept away
Never more to breathe the day:
Some are sleeping; some in bands
Travelled into distant lands;
Others slunk to moor and wood,
Far from human neighbourhood;
And, among the Kinds that keep
With us closer fellowship,
With us openly abide,
All have laid their mirth aside.
Where is he that giddy Sprite,
Blue-cap, with his colours bright,
Who was blest as bird could be,
Feeding in the apple-tree;
Made such wanton spoil and rout,
Turning blossoms inside out;
Hung--head pointing towards the ground--
Fluttered, perched, into a round
Bound himself, and then unbound;
Lithest, gaudiest Harlequin!
Prettiest Tumbler ever seen!
Light of heart and light of limb;
What is now become of Him?
Lambs, that through the mountains went
Frisking, bleating merriment,
When the year was in its prime,
They are sobered by this time.
If you look to vale or hill,
If you listen, all is still,
Save a little neighbouring rill,
That from out the rocky ground
Strikes a solitary sound.
Vainly glitter hill and plain,
And the air is calm in vain;
Vainly Morning spreads the lure
Of a sky serene and pure;
Creature none can she decoy
Into open sign of joy:
Is it that they have a fear
Of the dreary season near?
Or that other pleasures be
Sweeter even than gaiety?
Yet, whate'er enjoyments dwell
In the impenetrable cell
Of the silent heart which Nature
Furnishes to every creature;
Whatsoe'er we feel and know
Too sedate for outward show,
Such a light of gladness breaks,
Pretty Kitten! from thy freaks,--
Spreads with such a living grace
O'er my little Dora's face;
Yes, the sight so stirs and charms
Thee, Baby, laughing in my arms,
That almost I could repine
That your transports are not mine,
That I do not wholly fare
Even as ye do, thoughtless pair!
And I will have my careless season
Spite of melancholy reason,
Will walk through life in such a way
That, when time brings on decay,
Now and then I may possess
 Hours of perfect gladsomeness. Keep the sprightly soul awake,
--Pleased by any random toy; And have faculties to take,
By a kitten's busy joy, Even from things by sorrow wrought,
Or an infant's laughing eye Matter for a jocund thought,
Sharing in the ecstasy; Spite of care, and spite of grief,
I would fare like that or this, To gambol with Life's falling Leaf.
Find my wisdom in my bliss;

Vocabulary Practice:
1. Explain in English the meaning of the following words: a bay, a host, glee, a daffodil, bliss, rustic, a
kerchief, stockings, a porringer, an elder-tree, to hem, a sylph, a parachute, plaudits, an orchard, a
bough, a tumbler, a harlequin, to chirp, blithe, to slink, a rill, the lure, a feat (of art), a limb;
2. Find in the text, translate within the context and learn the following words: to proclaim, exquisite(ly),
external, to flutter, to toss, jocund, inward, solitude, to sparkle, to cluster, a grave, to gaze, a margin,
to be clad, lofty, to crouch, to abide, to frisk, to decoy, to dwell, to conjure, to moan, to stir, to eddy,
sprightly, a freak, giddy, to exceed, random, wanton, to be in (its) prime, to revel, to convey (the
idea, feelings), to gambol, to repine, impenetrable, serene, sedate, outward, to perch;
3. Find 5 synonyms and 2 antonyms to the following words: vacant, pensive, solitary, dreary;

Translation tasks:
1. Continuous as the stars that shine
And twinkle on the milky way,
They stretched in never-ending line
Along the margin of a bay…
2. For oft, when on my couch I lie
In vacant or in pensive mood…
3. She had a rustic, woodland air, 
And she was wildly clad: 
4. Of this morning bright and fair,
Eddying round and round they sink
Softly, slowly:
5. Now she works with three or four,
Like an Indian conjurer;
Quick as he in feats of art,
Far beyond in joy of heart.
Were her antics played in the eye
Of a thousand standers-by,
Clapping hands with shout and stare,
What would little Tabby care
For the plaudits of the crowd?
6. And with busy revellings,
Chirp and song, and murmurings,
7. Hours of perfect gladsomeness
8. If you listen, all is still,
Save a little neighbouring rill,
That from out the rocky ground
Strikes a solitary sound.
9. Keep the sprightly soul awake,
And have faculties to take,
Even from things by sorrow wrought,
 Matter for a jocund thought,
Spite of care, and spite of grief,
To gambol with Life's falling Leaf.

Make a translation of the following poem

My Heart Leaps Up

My heart leaps up when I behold

A rainbow in the sky:
So was it when my life began;
So is it now I am a man;
So be it when I shall grow old,
Or let me die!
The Child is father of the Man;
And I could wish my days to be
Bound each to each by natural piety.

Comprehension questions: I wandered lonely as a cloud

1. Where is the poet in the beginning of the poem? What is he doing? What can you say about his
mood?
2. What causes the change in his state of the mind?
3. In what way are the daffodils described?
4. How is the poet’s reaction to the scene described?
5. Does the poet understand the importance of the sight when he sees the daffodils?
6. When does he realize how valuable this experience is for him?

Comprehension questions: We Are Seven

1. Who does the speaker meet at the beginning of the poem? In what way is this person described?
What is the attitude of the speaker to this person?
2. What does the speaker ask the girl? What was her answer?
3. How many siblings has the girl got? Where are they? Where does the girl herself live?
4. What happened to the girl’s brother and sister according to her? Is she sad about the fact that they are
not alive anymore?
5. What does the girl answer to the speaker’s remark about her wrong calculations: ‘If two are in the
church-yard laid, Then ye are only five’? What argument does she use to prove that she is right in
saying that ‘we are seven’?
6. What is the speaker’s reaction to the little Maid's reply: "O Master! we are seven."’? Why does he
react in such a way?
7. The poem starts with such words:
“A Simple Child, 
That lightly draws its breath, 
And feels its life in every limb, 
What should it know of death?”
In what way do they correlate with the end of the poem?
8. From your point of view who makes correct calculations – the girl or the speaker? Why do you think
so?

Comprehension questions: THE KITTEN AND FALLING LEAVES

1. What sight does the speaker call ‘a pretty baby-show’?
2. What does the author mean by saying that ‘What would little Tabby care For the plaudits of the
crowd?
3. What is your interpretation of the following lines:
Over wealthy in the treasure Of her own exceeding pleasure!
4. Why does the author speak about the tumbler? What does he want to know? In what way are the
lambs mentioned in the same place?
5. What characteristic features of autumn are mentioned in the poem?
6. What season is described as ‘ the dreary season near’?
7. Whom does the speaker compare the kitten to? Why?
8. What according to the author should one do to be happy in this life?